Recent Episodes
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Recent Reviews
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Chris' SanityRun, hide, repeat the tall taleIf these people actually believe what they have been told by their mother and Mr. Sears, they are extremely gullible. This whole story is make believe.
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..&&…8…@DipJerk
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Teon77Just cantNarrator personality problems
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arrmdSeason 1 was grippingI listened to season 1 while packing for a move. It was riveting. I may listen again to make sure I caught everything.
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Lisa Anne 55Short sightedI look forward to listening to this series. Although my eyesight is pretty good my younger daughter has kerataconis. My husband is also developing retinitis pigmentosis. I have no idea how to process this knowledge
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Alum08Season 1 ReviewFascinating story and well-told by Pauline. This would have gotten four stars from me except the audio is hard to hear at times. When she interviews her brother and a few others, their voices are so low it’s just hard to hear. If the audio was better, this would be four stars.
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DecapatHuh?On episode 3 and why doesn’t anyone realize that the pastor is lying to her and maybe her also her mother?
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🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠JanithJanith the person telling the story is the victim
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llij1975EhIt was honestly boring. I feel like there’s a story there, but there were so many interviews and talking to this person about this memory and so many random characters that you can’t follow it. And they never come out and say that what happened.
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Laukelmomof3Great storyI disagree with the reviewers that say it could be told in a couple episodes - I think it paced well and was fascinating. Well told story of a couple families’ worlds. Sincere, interesting, told as the facts were revealed to the writer. I enjoyed it!
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JanithStretched out and unsatisfyingAnd the narrator could use a lesson on when to use “me” and “I.” Where are proofreaders when you need them?
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MrsAdams2007Tried to be something moreIt just wasn’t a great story. The narrator comes off as self important instead of a victim of this terrible life.
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StupendousKaleAbsolute MadnessThis story is so gripping and engaging and so troubling. I’m so sad for what this family went through.
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Honey_Badger23UGH!What a frustrating podcast! It had the potential to be so good. It could have been maybe a two episode podcast but it was made way longer and way more dramatic than it needed to be.
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TechnokityEpisode 1 & 5 are the only episodes worth a listenHere the story and save yourself from 3 droning episodes of the same. Go straight to conclusion. Interesting story but could have been told in 2 episodes.
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enriartGiant waste of time.I can’t even explain how meaningless this podcast is. I don’t know even know what to say, just smoke and mirrors, bizarre.
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MichellePLevyWowwwwAmazing story told really well. A great listen.
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-VEF-Mediocre (spoiler alert?)A bit boring, although thoroughly told. I got all episodes for free. The end analysis (I don’t think this is a spoiler: obviously the premise of the story can’t be true. I agree with another reviewer- there’s no way this is delusional disorder. The man Stan wrote letters from the made-up people, so it seems more like sick psychopathy. The author doesn’t have good perspective. It reminds me of a documentary of another man who manipulated people to follow him around Europe (“The Puppet Master.”) The fact the author makes this excuse for the abuse of her family by choosing to believe Stan believed his own lies makes the whole story fall flat. It would be more interesting if she had a more accurate diagnosis for him.
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SiegglesWild ride!I kept thinking that this story was just bonkers- how could people get swept up in the world that Sears created but they did. Very engaging tale. Well done
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LaraCooper1Just wowIncredible story, will be with me for a long time.
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Christie in TNWow at that one reviewMental illness, trauma and abuse are Difficult subjects to talk about, but you did a great job telling this story. I’m in disbelief though at Pagiepoo who thought the ending wasn’t enough. It’s someone’s true story not a movie. That’s just so heartless and a little ignorant to think someone’s tragedy didn’t have the climatic ending you were wanting. That’s not even the point!
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robins~generational traumaThis is a strange and difficult story. Some reviewers have called the author's mother "stupid". This is a story of deep trauma, mental illness and how we dig and process trauma shared through generations. There is a story buried here, about desperate, lonely and depressed single mothers in the big cultural wave of divorce and single motherhood -- a greater exploration of this would be interesting and give some context. P and T's was definitely a chaotic and psychologically abusive childhood. Therapy, anyone?
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SeptrewSlow start, incredible finishA very well told story about the ripple effects of abuse and mental illness within families.
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Merlins bootsAnother stupid womanAnother example of a weak, stupid woman willing to sacrifice the health and well being of her children for a man. Unforgivable. Just like The Glass Castle and Educated. Two parents participating in child abuse.
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TransPjofanSo goodIt is a little scary and tI swears sometimes but other than that You should totally hear it good for 10 up
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Lo DandyA Fascinating Story with a Point of ViewThis story was so well told. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with us. This podcast is really well done. I was surprised to see how few reviews there are! Listen to this story! You won’t be able to stop once you start.
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Barb DKTwists & turnsI really liked this pod! So interesting and unpredictable. I would love to know more about the effects of Pauline and Ted’s childhood on their adult lives, beliefs and mental health (maybe that’s too intrusive and personal). So many families have secrets though few as extensive as this family!
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etherdogThis is about mental illness, not intrigueThis podcast is a false flag and so disappointing.
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Elyse212Don’t waste your timeThis podcast is preposterous. To top that it is also boring.
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PagiePoo7great at catching attention ….this was a great listen! i loved learning about the situation and how it all played out for the years of their childhood and they did a great job with the attention grabbers - but the climax at the end in “saving mom” was kind of a let down. i feel like it could’ve been more captivating
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nixfinityCBC's WorstI've enjoyed most of the CBC podcasts, but this is ridiculous. Can anyone in Canada really be this dumb aside from your version of the Q/Trump cult? Remove this pod for the sake of Canada please
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RoseCityRosieSubscription needed for last 2 EpisodesI was enjoying this podcast until I got to episode 4 and was denied because I had to subscribe. Will update my rating if the last two episodes are released w/o subscription
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HogTrooperCan't finishI'm getting tired of getting invested into these podcast series that all of a sudden at the end require a subscription. Never going to start one like this again.
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ccd.1983Don’t waste your timeYou get catfished on third or fourth ep
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RunMikeDKind of a missEpisode three was my breaking point. Every aspect of the story because completely absurd and there’s clearly some serious issues with the people pushing the lie.
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Sandy980This story is so cringyThis story is so cringy and jacked up. The mother should just really be ashamed of herself. The fact that she claimed to be abused but the children and her close friends saw no signs of it. Then how she put a lying married psychopath before her own children. The entire story is sick and both of them should be in jail.
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bunnyreebsJust Scratched the SurfaceThis is a truly fascinating story and I’m frankly quite shocked it was only 5 episodes. The host is a reporter but I don’t think she should’ve told her own story. I wanted more details from an outsider perspective that she just couldn’t provide. Plus it was unnerving to have her be so at peace with the subject. This man ruined her mothers life, and perhaps her and her brother could move on and get out but it’s devastating that she never could. Stan’s horrifying lie is hard to explain away with just a posthumous diagnosis. The fact that he was just living with his wife when he claimed to be at the place of hope chilled me to the bone. This story was deeply disturbing and perhaps the book gives more detail but this podcast glossed over a lot in favor of just saying “oh haha wasn’t that a wild time”. Deeply deeply traumatizing and I don’t think I could forgive the way she seems to have.
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DirtMagnetYikes.Shame on whichever editor at CBC greenlit this. I don’t fault the author for framing this this way. It’s clearly a trauma response, and how she’s learned to survive. CBC is irresponsible for giving this a platform without giving resources and explaining the majority of things happening to these children are crimes. If you or anyone you know are experiencing the treatment described in this podcast, CALL FOR HELP. I’m glad the author thinks it’s funny now, but there are events described that could have resulted in death. There’s no reason to make excuses for the adults in this story. Untreated mental illness isn’t a party trick. If you believe a child is suffering from abuse or neglect report it immediately to your local authorities. Nothing described in this podcast is a safe environment for a child.
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resgbInteresting but not insightfulThis is an interesting story and I would think a third party could really do some digging and figure out what was going on. The narrator/journalist is too close to the story here. She clearly needed an answer that would be less painful than at least considering that Stan was a sociopath and her mother had Borderline Personality Disorder. In the end, it’s more a story of the lies we tell ourselves to avoid what we don’t want to hear.
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rahill521Interesting and frustratingIt’s a fascinating story and the story is told well but the analysis is lacking. I’m confused as to why the narrator decided this was delusional disorder (that Stan believed these delusions) and not a complex way of manipulating those close to him. What did I miss? Why do we assume he believed these stories as opposed to being a charismatic manipulative actor?
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